A recently screened documentary on state-run Chinese television gives an idea about the possible military strategy for an amphibious assault on Taiwan.
The broadcast reveals how the People's Liberation Army (PLA) would carry out a coordinated attack by means of ground forces, naval units, and advanced rocket brigades.
Helicopter Air Assault and Drone Reconnaissance
The documentary is a part of the Quenching series, demonstrating how PLA forces would conduct an amphibious landing on Taiwan.
The South China Morning Post reports that the major part of the film consisted of the large-scale helicopter air assault. Aviation troops of the land forces would engage drones on reconnaissance and attack any enemy positions discovered when searching and assaulting enemy positions, thus clearing the troops to land.
Drones were essential tools in the exercise, being used as high-altitude surveillance elements that supported helicopters in landing forces close to shore.
The unmanned aerial vehicles would at times also attack enemy air defense systems, including man-portable air defense missiles (MANPADS), such as the FIM-92 Stinger missile provided by the United States and obtained by Taiwan.
"As man-portable air defence weapons are widely used in battlefields, helicopters face significant threats [from being hit]. We must find new ways to win in real battles," a PLA officer said in the video.
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Amphibious Landing and Defensive Maneuvers
The documentary explained how the PLA approached the completion of its amphibious landing while countering the enemy's defense.
PLA helicopters were attacked with simulation attacks by Taiwanese defenses while frogmen swam ashore to secure the beachhead. The PLA countered these defenses with the use of infrared decoys and avoidance maneuvers to nullify the incoming threats.
Besides, the video simulated how PLA forces launched missile strikes against enemy air defense to show the extent of tactical interaction, which would occur during an attack.
Maritime Operations: China's Advanced Destroyers
In the naval segment, it was China's turn with its Type 055 destroyer, the 12,000-ton Yanan.
Equipped with air defense, anti-missile, anti-submarine, and electronic warfare capabilities, the destroyer had been put to use as a sentinel during an electronic warfare exercise.
The documentary emphasizes Yanan detecting electromagnetic interference and calls to J-15 jet fighters to investigate and repel enemy electronic warfare aircraft. It is the role of Yanan, which reflects Chinese interest in having naval supremacy, especially when regarding waters around Taiwan as strategically significant.
Rocket Brigade and Long-Range Strikes
The most important disclosure by the broadcast regarding China's PCL-191 long-range MLRS was done here. It can fire rockets that are 370mm in range up to a distance of 350 kilometers and ballistic missiles up to 500 kilometers, which might strike Taiwan's western coastline positions on the mainland.
The "Long Fire" brigade of the PLA showed how quickly it could be turned out to screen bomber and warship approaches during an invasion, conducting an evening exercise in which truck-mounted rockets were fired in rapid succession, all moving to short reaction times.
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